Uplifting Blues

Crossroad Theatre’s ‘Cookin’ at the Cookery’ explores the life of singer Alberta Hunter, who staged a comeback at age 82.

By:Jillian Kalonick
   Playing nine characters in the musical Cookin’ at the Cookery is now second nature to actress Janice Lorraine, but the first time she tried it she lost her voice.
   "It was like going into boot camp," she says. "I had so many characters, and we had a short amount of time to get it together. I took the show to my vocal coach and he taught me how to put my voice in different places, and how to pace myself."
   Ms. Lorraine plays a young girl, an 80-year-old man, a nightclub owner and a streetwalker, among other characters, in Cookin’ at the Cookery, Marion Caffey’s musical about the life of blues legend Alberta Hunter. Crossroads Theatre in New Brunswick will present the show Dec. 2-11.
   "Doing it for the past two and a half years has worn a groove in my system," says Ms. Lorraine, who won an NAACP Theatre Award, a Black Theatre Alliance Award and a Jeff Award nomination for her role in the show. "On the flip side of that, I don’t want to get stuck in a rut. When this show opens I want to try to find new nuances for all my characters. For me it’s going to be a different show, I want to make it better every time."
   Cookin’ at the Cookery also stars Gretha Boston as Alberta Hunter. The singer’s career included performing in the original 1928 Showboat with Paul Robeson, and writing the Bessie Smith hit "Downhearted Blues." She toured throughout Europe in the 1930s, and was part of the USO during World War II, performing for troops in Europe, Asia and the South Pacific. When Ms. Hunter’s career faltered in the 1950s, she became a nurse in a New York City hospital and stopped singing for 20 years, only to make a comeback at age 82, performing at the club The Cookery in Greenwich Village and releasing two blues albums. She died in 1984.
   "She was a very strong, persistent, relentless woman," says Ms. Lorraine. "She stood on her own two feet, she knew what she wanted and how she wanted it done. She loved what she was doing. When she realized her style was falling by the wayside, she didn’t let that stop her. She went right into nursing, and then she came back with a vengeance.
   "At 82 she was doing eight shows a week, and she could barely walk," she continues. "When the spotlight hit her she stood and sang her song. The whole idea is to never give up on your dream, and keep moving forward. If you don’t use it you lose it."
   Cookin’ at the Cookery, which has been dubbed a "bluesical," celebrates both Alberta Hunter’s life and the music she performed, with the first half setting up her story and the second half made up mostly of music. The older Alberta, Gretha Boston, is like the eye of the storm, says Ms. Lorraine, with her characters dancing around Alberta.
   "On and off-Broadway I have taken care of five to eight characters, but to this extent I’ve never done anything," she says. "It’s exhausting, but I love it."
   Mr. Caffey, who also directs the show, has brought it to the Paul Robeson Theatre in Buffalo, N.Y., Two River Theatre Company in Red Bank, Delaware Theatre Company and Cleveland Playhouse, among others.
   "He keeps me on my toes, he’s a wonderful person," says Ms. Lorraine of Mr. Caffey. "He’s always looking for ways to keep the show fresh, and always rehearsing it, which helps us bring new life to it."
   Ms. Lorraine, who lives in Fort Greene, Brooklyn, grew up in Newark, and is a graduate of the city’s Arts High School. She first appeared at Crossroads in Sophisticated Ladies. Coming from a musical family, she began singing and dancing at a young age.
   "I’ve come full circle," says Ms. Lorraine. "I majored in health and physical education at Virginia State University, and I started my career in Richmond, Va. I guess it’s a lot like Alberta, she did her thing and went into nursing. I went into health and phys. ed and I’m back — I’m still going."
Cookin’ at the Cookery plays at Crossroads Theatre, 7 Livingston Ave., New Brunswick, Dec. 2-11. Performances: Dec. 2-3, 7-9, 8 p.m.; Dec. 10, 3, 8 p.m.; Dec. 4, 11, 3 p.m. Tickets cost $40-$50. For information, call (800) 766-6048. On the Web: www.crossroadsnb.com